The impossible becomes inevitable
by DaretoDayDream
Summary: "-and the one that you just crashed into like a wrecking ball is Dr Spencer Reid." When Spencer's and Hanniah's worlds collide, quite literally they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But is Spencer finally ready to move on from Maeve? Will Hanniah let down her guard and let the good doctor in? Read to find out.
1. Wrecking Ball

**Hey there, everyone. So this is my first Criminal Minds fic. It is going to be a Reid and OC centred fic. I had a previous account but I can't remember my password or any of the details. I am going to be updating this once every two weeks until completion, I have an idea of how I want this to play out, but it will take some idea to work all my ideas out seamlessly. Anyhow, let me know what you think. Please be kind. Also, deepest apologies for any mistakes, they're all my own.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but Hanniah Salvatore is mine and a figment of my overly active imagination.**

 _"For a few seconds they looked silently into each other's eyes, and the distant and impossible suddenly became near, possible and inevitable." –Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace_

The collision is bound to happen what with Reid completely enraptured in the book he is reading and the short brunette engrossed with the wad of papers in her hand, the two plough into each other and wind up on the floor opposite each other, papers showering over them like confetti.  
"Oh my gosh; I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Man, I am such a klutz." The brunette says feeling flustered while she attempts to gather all the papers that flew out of her hand when they had taken the tumble.  
"I am so sorry. I should have been looking where I was going." Spencer says and immediately starts helping her, their hands brush as they reach for the same piece of paper, startled by the physical contact they both look up and embarrassed hazel eyes meet rattled dark chocolate orbs. At that moment it is as if time itself freezes, as the two stare into each other's eyes and all of a sudden it feels as if all the oxygen is being sucked out of the room, it is as if they are gazing into the very depth of each other's souls. Spencer stares into the dark chocolate orbs before him in absolute wonderment, her eyes are so beautiful, they scream of innocence and he feels like he would do anything to protect that rarity forever. The brunette is in awe at the pair of hazel eyes before her, they almost resemble honey and yet they look like they have seen so much pain and she feels as if she would do anything to replace that pain with joy; the hypnotic spell is broken by Rossi.

"Hanniah, are you okay?"  
Spencer and Hanniah both look up only to find that they had caught the attention of the entire BAU unit, Spencer quickly gathers the last few papers and lifts himself off the ground, while Rossi stretches his hand out to help Hanniah up.  
"Yeah, I'm fine Uncle Dave. Just being my clumsy self." She says accepting the papers from Spencer, straightening them out on the desk to her right and quickly shoving them into her messenger bag and pushing her thick wavy hair out of her face while attempting to not make eye contact with the gorgeous, tall, hazel-eyed man.

"Hey, Rossi. Who's the young lady?" Morgan asks with a smirk, sauntering over to stand next to Spencer.  
"Everyone, this is Hanniah Salvatore. She is the daughter of one my army buddies."  
"Hanniah, this is Derek Morgan, that's Jennifer or JJ, the one giving you the bright smile is Penelope Garcia, you've already met Aaron Hotchner earlier this morning and the one that you just crashed into like a wrecking ball is Dr Spencer Reid." Rossi says gesturing to each person in turn.  
"It's nice to meet all of you. Uncle Dave talks about his team all the time. It's really quite incredible what you do here. And again I am so sorry, Dr Reid." Hanniah smiles shyly revealing deep dimples in her mocha coloured skin tone.  
"It's okay." He responds while quietly observing her, taken aback at her beauty, it's not an obvious beauty, but a subtle one that appears to stem from within, a beauty that captivates you. She is so short, five feet at most and Spencer realises that she must be adopted since her features indicate an Indian heritage, definitely not Italian in any way.

"So, Hanniah, are you from DC?" JJ asks her.  
"Actually, New York, I just moved here a few weeks ago and decided to drop in and say hello to my Uncle Dave." Hanniah smiles while leaning over to give Rossi a side hug and Rossi responds with a chuckle and squeezing her tightly around the waist.  
"What are you doing in DC?" Garcia asks inquisitively, the sparks flying between the petite Indian and the resident boy genius did not go unnoticed by her.  
"Well, I am a curator at Smithsonian American Art Museum."  
"You look a little young to be a curator." Derek says his eyebrows raised.  
"I'm 27, I just look young for my age."  
"But, still 27, usually it takes a bit longer to become a curator, gaining work experience and whatnot." Garcia says.  
"Well, I graduated from high school when I was 15."  
"And we have another genius in the house!" Garcia shouts.  
"Well, I don't think that intelligence can actually be accurately measured." Hanniah says in response to Garcia's statement.  
"Wow! There's two of them." JJ says and everyone else chuckles while Spencer looks at her with clear surprise.  
"What?" she asks clearly confused.  
"Boy Wonder over here always says that." Derek says throwing an arm over Spencer's shoulder.  
"Uncle Dave mentioned that you are a genius, Dr Reid." Spencer blushes shyly.  
"Please, call me Spencer." she smiles bashfully and the two of them are about to lose themselves in each other's eyes again, but are interrupted by the chiming of Garcia's and Hotch's phones.  
"We have a new case. Conference room in 15." Hotch says, before abruptly stalking out, Garcia hot on his heels, however she turns back at the last minute.  
"It was great meeting you, Hanniah. Don't be a stranger." And then she is gone.  
"Come on, I will walk you out." Rossi says to the her while proffering his arm to her and the two walk toward the elevators arm in arm, with Hanniah talking animatedly to Rossi, gesturing wildly with her hands and Rossi laughing heartily at her story.

Reid turns and observes the two of them, feeling a slight twinge that she is leaving.  
"I bet if you ask Rossi, he will give you her number." Derek says with a wide smirk on his face.  
"Wh-what? I have no idea what you are talking about?" Spencer stutters out.  
"Oh, come on pretty boy, anyone with eyes could see you two had a connection."  
"Morgan is right, Spence. It's time. And obviously you like her; you couldn't take your eyes off her." JJ says gently, knowing that he is still quite sensitive about everything that happened with Maeve.  
"Maybe." Spencer says softly before walking away.

 **Want more? Or is this boring? Please review.**


	2. Perfect Match

**I know, I know; I am absolutely terrible. I had every intention of having this up by last week Sunday, but the last two and half weeks were insane; wrote my last two exams of the semester, celebrated my birthday and my two best friends had birthdays as well (all my closest friends are also born in November, how weird is that?), and then I had half of this chapter written which I hated so I scrapped it and then started again and now I have been having Wi-Fi issues.**  
 **Anyhow, back to the story: so I know that Morgan got married and took a leave of absence after his attack, but I always figured he would drop by the BAU occasionally, since they're kind of like a family.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, although I wish Dr Spencer Reid existed in my world. Sigh.**

The case wraps up within a few days and the BAU unit arrives home by late Saturday night and with the absolute insistence of Rossi the team agrees to meet at his 'mansion' on Sunday afternoon for lunch.

The next day arrives with clear skies and a slight breeze in the air and soon enough the guests begin to arrive by one that afternoon, first to arrive is Hotch and Jack, Lewis and Garcia arrive together soon afterward with Garcia carrying a dessert of some kind. Derek arrives next with Savannah in tow, followed quickly by JJ, Will, Spencer, Henry and Michael.

"Hey, Rossi. What are we having for lunch?" Garcia asks.  
"My authentic Italian lasagne with a side salad, we're just waiting on Hann. She is running a bit late."  
"You invited, Hanniah?" Spencer asks clearly surprised.  
"You have a problem with that, Reid?" Rossi asks with a smirk.  
"Uhh, no, not at all." At Reid's response the doorbell rings.

Rossi leaves the open plan living area to answer the door; quiet greetings can be heard between Rossi and Hann before they appear smiling with Hanniah carrying a container and Rossi holding a bouquet of white roses.  
"Hey sweetheart, what's in the container?" Morgan asks sauntering over to the pair.  
"You're a married man, Derek. You better watch who you're calling sweetheart." Savannah says with a teasing smirk absentmindedly rubbing her swollen belly.  
Hanniah looks around in amusement, taking note of the various unknown faces. Introductions are made and before long the entire party moves to the backyard with Hanniah fitting right in with the tightknit group.

After everyone has been well fed by the samplings of lasagne made by Rossi and grasshopper pie made by Garcia; Jack, Henry, Will and Derek decide to kick around the soccer ball, while Hotch and Rossi preoccupy themselves with Scotch and cigars at the opposite end of the backyard far away from the pregnant Savannah and baby Michael.  
"So, Hanniah, tell us a little bit about yourself." Lewis says.  
"Well, what would you like to know?" she asks cooing to Michael who is seated on her lap and appears to be enjoying the attention.  
"Your family; because clearly you're good with kids." JJ says nodding to Michael.  
"Well, when I was twelve my biological parents were killed in a car accident; drunk driver. My mom's best friend, Julianna and her husband Marcus adopted me, since I had no other relatives. So, I have three older adoptive brothers who are annoyingly protective; the eldest two are married with kids and the younger one has no interest in settling down."  
"I'm sorry about your family." JJ says softly with a look of sympathy that is shared amongst the rest of the group at the table.  
"It's okay. I am really blessed, the Salvatores have never made me feel like an outsider, it's like I am their daughter."

The afternoon winds down when Rossi makes all the adults cappuccinos while the kids and Savannah enjoy hot chocolate. Morgan's earlier curiosity is finally sated when Hanniah's container is opened to reveal homemade chocolate-dipped biscotti.  
"This biscotti is amazing, Hann." Savannah says.  
"Thanks, it's a family recipe."  
"It tastes just as good as I remember." Rossi says murmuring appreciatively.  
"Did you know that biscotti is the plural form of the word biscotto and it originates from the Medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning twice-cooked/baked." Spencer says in between bites.  
"And that it can be traced back to Ancient Rome." Hanniah says smiling brightly.  
"It was the most convenient food for travellers, soldiers and sailors-"  
"Because of its dry texture and its long shelf-life." Hanniah finishes Spencer's thought and the two of them smile at each other as if sharing a secret; their moment is broken by the soft chuckles of Rossi.  
"Wooooow!" JJ says smiling.  
"Pretty boy, I do believe that you have met your match." Morgan says smirking, Spencer blushes while Hanniah shyly looks down at her coffee.

"Spencer, are you sure you don't mind driving me home? I honestly don't mind calling a cab." Hanniah says while shrugging on her denim jacket.  
"The cabbies who work in the District of Columbia are notorious for their scams." Spencer says holding the front door open for her.  
"I'm a big tough girl, Spencer. I can handle myself." She chuckles.  
"I'm sure you can." Spencer opens the car door for her and she smiles indicating her gratitude.

The car is filled with the sounds of Mozart.  
"You like Mozart?"  
"I do, I find his compositions are quite soothing."  
"I prefer Tchaikovsky."  
"So, do you like the ballet?"  
"I do, Swan Lake is my favourite. My parents took me to see it when I was sixteen."  
The rest of the car ride is filled with a comfortable silence between the two, who seem to be enjoying the sounds flooding from the speakers and before long they arrive at Hanniah's residence.  
"You know, you live just around the corner from me?"  
"Really? Hopefully we will run into each other more often." Hanniah says smiling shyly.  
"I would like that." Spencer says blushing.  
"Well, thank you for the ride, Spencer." She says and is about to open her door when she feels Spencer just barely touching her arm.  
"Wait, just a second." Spencer says as he rushes to get out of the car and runs over to the passenger side, opening her door for her and helping her out of the car, Hanniah laughs musically in response.  
"Wow, a true gentleman."  
Spencer walks Hanniah to the door of her apartment complex and pauses briefly considering whether to say what is on his mind.  
"Something on your mind, Spence?" Spencer looks up in surprise at the nickname.  
"Uh-I- was just wondering- if you want- of course- could we maybe exchange numbers? Only if you want of course." Spencer stutters out nervously.  
"Of course." Hanniah smiles and the two of them exchange numbers before saying goodbye for the evening.

 _"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." - Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights_

 **I'm sorry that the chapter is so short. I will try to make the next one a bit longer, which I will be absolutely starting with tomorrow. Is Spencer too OOC? What do you guys think of Hanniah?**

 **Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are celebrating.**


	3. Koi No Yokan

**Hey guys, I am back. So, are you enjoying this story so far? Did you have a good festive season?**

 **I am so sorry that this took me so long to update; the past two months were insane, don't even want to talk about it.**

 _Koi No Yokan – (Japanese) 'premonition of love'; the sense one can have upon first meeting another person that the two of them are going to fall in love. This differs from 'love at first sight' in that it does not imply that the feeling of love exists, rather it refers to the knowledge that a future love is inevitable._

Spencer arrives home from Rossi's to find his phone ringing and he hurries to answer the call before the machine picks up.  
"Hello, this is Dr Spencer Reid."  
"Hi Spencer. It's Lila. Lila Archer."  
"Lila, hi! How are you?" surprise colouring Spencer's voice.  
"I'm good thanks and yourself?"  
"I'm great. It's great to hear your voice. It has been so long."  
"It has." An awkward silence ensues.  
"So, I am actually in town for the next six months and I was wondering if you would like to catch up over dinner or something."  
"Uhm, yeah. Sure."  
"Maybe tomorrow evening?"  
"Yeah, tomorrow sounds good; if we don't have a case."  
"Great! Does The Capital Grille at about seven sound good?"  
"Okay."  
"I'll see you then, Spencer. Sweet dreams."  
"Uhm… you too."

Spencer looks in confusion at the phone; the last person he ever expected to hear from was Lila. The two of them had tried to stay in touch after the case had wrapped, but the distance, the difference in their worlds and they both had erratic work schedules, so the possible romance between them had just fizzled. The last Spencer had heard was that she was engaged to some hotshot producer. His train of thought is interrupted by the buzz of his phone indicating a text.

 ** _Hey Spencer. Did you arrive home safely? Thanks again. Hanniah_**

 ** _Hi Hanniah. I am home safely. Thank you. It was no problem._**

 ** _Okay. Good. Goodnight and sweet dreams._**

 ** _Goodnight. Sweet dreams._**

Monday morning arrives and Spencer awakes after a fitful night of sleep, his dreams filled with him having to choose between Lila, Hanniah and Maeve, making the decision that he will need copious amounts of coffee to get through today, he leaves his apartment with the search of caffeine being the only thought on his mind.

Spencer arrives at Corner Bakery only to find one of the reasons for his lack of sleep a few patrons in front of him; fighting his urge to run from the shop and just drink the horrible sludge at the office; Spencer finds himself pushing a bit forward to greet Hanniah despite the glares he receives from the customers in front of him.  
"Spencer! Hi, how are you?" Hanniah exclaims in surprise.  
"Hi, Hann. I'm good thank you and yourself?"  
"I'm good thanks. Need some fuel before starting the day?"  
"Yeah, I don't think I could live without coffee."  
"Same, although I might settle for tea today since I'm already on edge since it's my first day at work, I can't believe how nervous I am."  
"Being nervous is your body's way of protecting itself, there is an increase of the adrenaline hormone, so your heart is racing which increases blood circulation in order to fight against any apparent threat." Hanniah smiles at Spencer, finding his tendency to ramble off facts endearing especially since she could do something very similar at times. Spencer blushes nervously as if realising that he is rambling about something Hanniah probably doesn't care about, Hanniah studies him carefully and draws the conclusion that people must hush him often and she finds it woeful that he feels the need to supress that part of himself.  
She places her hand gently on his arm having already deduced that he isn't quite fond of physical contact.  
"It's okay, Spence. I love hearing what you have to say." He looks up a bit startled.  
"Really? Most people find it annoying."  
"Well, Dr Reid, one thing you will hopefully come to learn about me is that I am not like most people." She smiles at him and the two find themselves at the counter to order and at Hanniah's absolute insistence she buys both of them commuter croissants for breakfast along with coffee for him and tea for her.  
"I was going to eat breakfast at Lower Senate Park. Would you like to join me?" Hanniah asks.  
"Sure, that would be nice."

"Morning, Kid. You look chipper this morning." Rossi greets Reid.  
"Morning, Rossi. I have no idea what you are talking about." Reid says biting down on his smile while seating himself at his desk.  
"Spill, Reid, what has you smiling this morning?" Tara asks.  
"Nothing, I just had a good morning."  
"Hey, Spence. Was that Hann I saw in the parking lot dropping you off?" JJ asks as she comes in completely oblivious to what is going on.  
"Something you want to share, Reid?" Rossi asks with raised eyebrows.  
"It-it wasn't like that. We bumped into each other at the coffee shop and she offered me a ride." Spencer stutters, flushing red.  
"Spence… you're blushing." JJ teases in a sing-song voice.  
"Alright, alright. Let's give the kid a break." Rossi says winking at Spencer as he walks past his desk.

Thirty minutes later, once Spencer is sure that everyone is engrossed the paperwork they were assigned he goes to the kitchenette, pretending to want more coffee, when he actually pulls out his phone and proceeds to text Hanniah.

 ** _Hey Hann. Did you get to work safely?_**

The reply comes a few moments later.  
 ** _Yes, I did, thanks. So excited for today._**

 ** _Are you settled in?_**

 ** _Not quite yet. My colleagues seem quite nice though._**

Spencer pauses for a second and tries to recall tips Morgan gave him with regards to flirting.  
 ** _I'm sure they will love you, how can they not? You're amazing._**

 ** _Haha. You're too kind. Thanks, Spence. Have a great day!_**

 ** _Thank you. Have a lovely day, Hann. Hopefully we will talk later. I would like to hear about your day._**

 ** _Definitely._**

Spencer's work day ends quite uneventfully at five and he hurries home to get ready to meet up with Lila at the Capital Grille, he arrives at the restaurant with fifteen minutes to spare and is seated at the reserved table. Lila arrives a few minutes later and she is just as beautiful as Spencer remembers, her bright red halter dress complements her perfectly; enhancing every curve of her frame.  
"Hi Spencer." She greets him warmly kissing him on the cheek.  
"Hi Lila. It's nice to see you, you look beautiful." Spencer says sitting down once again.  
"Thank you. How are you doing?"  
"I'm good, thanks, still working at the BAU. What about you?"  
"I'm all good, been keeping busy."  
"Where's your fiancé?"  
"Who cares about him? I'm here with you aren't I?"  
"I'm not sure I understand."  
"Well, Dr Reid, do you honestly think I would be here with you in a dress like this if I had a fiancé waiting for me?"  
"B-B-Bu-" Spencer stutters, eyes wide in surprise.  
"Spence?" Spencer hears his name called and turns to see Hanniah standing behind him and suddenly any nervousness he feels disappears at the sight of Hanniah standing there more beautiful than ever in an a-line pale yellow knitted bardot dress with peep-toe platform heels and despite the added height she is still so much shorter than him.  
"Hanniah, hi. I didn't expect to see you here." Spencer says as he stands up.  
"Uhh… my colleagues decided to take me out for a celebratory welcome dinner." She says and then notices Lila for the first time.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Spencer. I didn't mean to interrupt your date." Hanniah says with hurt in her eyes that she tries to hide.  
"It's not a date." Spencer says quickly.  
"That's okay, I should probably get back to my colleagues. It was nice seeing you." She says quietly and then moves to the table where her colleagues are sitting.

"Spencer!" Reid snaps his head up to look at Lila who had been calling him for the past few minutes, they had left the restaurant at eight and Spencer was now walking Lila to her car.  
"Sorry, what did you say?"  
"You like her, don't you."  
"To whom are you referring?"  
"The beautiful Indian girl you were talking to at the restaurant."  
"I- uh-" Spencer falters.  
"It's okay, Spencer. I understand, we were a lifetime ago."  
"I'm so sorry, Lila. It just happened, I had given up on finding someone a while ago and then she just came crashing into me like a wrecking ball and I can't stop thinking about her."  
"It sounds like you should be telling her this."  
"She probably doesn't want to see me now; she probably thinks I'm the type of guy that flirts with one girl and then dates another."  
"You don't know that, just give it a shot. Trust me, finding someone is difficult, it doesn't happen all the time." Lila says as she unlocks her car, hugs Spencer and then drives away with a quick wave.

Spencer catches a cab home and after contemplating it for a while, he drives to Hanniah's place and calls her from outside the apartment complex.  
"Spencer? Do you need something? Did something happen?" She asks as soon as she answers the call.  
"What apartment are you in? And could you buzz me in please?"  
"What? You're outside?"  
"Yeah, I need to talk to you, it's important."  
"Apartment 4A." Hanniah says as she buzzes Spencer in.


	4. Cracked and Flawed

**AN: Hey everyone. So here's the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, obviously.**

Hanniah opens the door still clad in the yellow dress she was wearing at the restaurant, but in the place of the platform heels are now fuzzy bunny slippers and her naturally wavy hair is now down and looks much like the way it did on the day when they first met. She moves aside to allow Spencer to come in.

The apartment is modern with large glass windows and laminate flooring, but it's apparent that Hanniah is still settling in as there are still a few unpacked boxes scattered about. Spencer pauses for a minute surveying his new surroundings, taking special note of the easel set up in the corner of the living room.  
"You can have a seat, Spencer. Would you like something to drink? I was just about to make some masala chai." Hanniah says softly wrapping her arms around herself.  
"Masala chai sounds good." Reid says and then takes a seat on the red sofa trying to collect his thoughts.

Hanniah comes back with a serving tray laden with the chai and store-bought biscuits, placing the tray on the coffee table, picking up her own teacup from the tray and gesturing for Spencer to help himself and then proceeding to seat herself in the beige jacquard print armchair, the distance between them not going unnoticed by Spencer.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk about?" she asks once Spencer is comfortable again.  
"Are you familiar with the concept of Koi No Yokan?" he asks.  
"Uhm… it's Japanese, it's like love at first sight?"  
"No, not quite. It's more like a premonition of love, not feeling love immediately but knowing that love is inevitable after meeting someone."  
"Okay?"  
"Sorry, I'm not explaining this right." Spencer gets up from his seat and moves to kneel in front of Hanniah, he gently removes the cup from her hands and takes her hands into his own and then inhales deeply.  
"Hann, ever since we met I haven't been able to get you off my mind and even though we have only known each other for a very short while all I want is to be close to you, to spend hours talking to you. It's as if something within me yearns for you, like you're this puzzle that I would like to spend all my time trying to solve."  
"Spence, what are you trying to say?"  
"I want a relationship with you, Hanniah."  
"But, we just met. You haven't seen me when I'm moody or sleep deprived. You have no idea how cracked and flawed I am."  
"We're all cracked and flawed, Hann."  
"Are you sure, Spence? You really want to be with me? What about the girl at the restaurant? She's gorgeous and she's this famous actress, I'm not close to that."  
"Lila is great, but she's not you."  
"Okay." Hanniah says and smiles softly at Spencer who tries to control his wide smile by biting his bottom lip.  
"I think I should go, it's getting late and we both have to be at work tomorrow." He says softly getting up from the floor  
"Stay a little longer, just another half hour or so? Please."  
"Okay."  
"I'll make us some popcorn and we can talk for a bit."

"So, tell me more about yourself, Spence. What's your family like?"  
"Well, my mom raised me on her own. My dad walked out when I was little; he couldn't handle my mom's condition. She's a paranoid schizophrenic and was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but she is intelligent. She was a fifteenth century literature college professor and my dad is an attorney in Las Vegas."  
"I'm sorry that your life hasn't been the easiest, Spence. Where's your mom now? Do you still have contact with your dad?"  
"She's still in Las Vegas, but I had to have her institutionalised when I was eighteen, I still write to her every day though especially since I can't visit her as often as I would like to. My dad and I aren't on speaking terms; I know that he keeps tabs on me and my career however."  
"Well, I guess your dad cares on some level."  
"Yeah, I guess."  
"Spence, sometimes people love us the only way they know how, it's not always the way we expect them to but sometimes that's the only kind of love they know how to give."  
"Sounds like you have experienced it before."  
"Yeah, first boyfriend. He always hated how close I am to my family; he always wanted to be first in my life. He would get so angry if I didn't respond immediately to his texts and then would ignore me to try and control me and he would cheat on me all the time and because I trusted him, I always thought everyone else was wrong until I found the texts and pictures on his phone."  
"He sounds like a typical narcissist."  
"Yeah, it took me years to get over that betrayal."  
"He's an idiot."  
"I just think he was so accustomed to being loved conditionally that when I loved him unconditionally, he didn't know how to respond because he had never experienced that kind of love before. It was after our relationship ended that I realised you can't be with someone who is unaware of how flawed they are; else they will go on believing that they don't have any growing to do. Okay, but's let not talk about my ex anymore." She says smiling at Spencer.  
"What were your biological parents like?"  
"My mom was so kind and compassionate and she was always cooking; everyone would always ask her for recipes, even now if I bump into someone she knew they will tell me about my mom's food. My dad was playful, he was always joking and he loved to tease me about anything and everything and he would always encourage me to be creative. They were great; they made me believe I could do anything I wanted to do."  
"What about your adoptive family?"  
"Well, they're much louder and bigger, because it was always just my parents and myself and then when Julianna and Marcus adopted me it was quite an adjustment, but they're incredible. Julianna reminds me a lot of my mom, she is very loving but can be quite strict but Marcus is a teddy bear, he loves giving hugs and will call me in the middle of the day just because he saw something that reminded him of me."  
"And your brothers?"  
"Lucas is the eldest and by far the most protective. He's married and has two daughters. Aiden is the middle one and he loves to annoy me, he's married and has triplets, two boys and one girl. Enzo is a year older than me and we are really close, he's my best friend. What about you, Spence, any siblings?"  
"No. It was always just me and my mom, but Derek is like a brother to me."  
"Uncle Dave mentioned how the BAU is family and if someone messes with one you then they are messing with all of you."  
"Sometimes the people who mean the world to you, you meet unexpectedly and without warning." Spencer says smiling at Hanniah who blushes in response.

 _"I have no interest in the flawless. Give me those whose cracked pieces fit together with my own." –Bryan Sharp_

 **Not really quite sure how I feel about this chapter. But let me know what you think. Is there anything you would like to see?**


	5. Home

**AN: Huge appreciation to every single person that has reviewed, followed and added this story to their favourites. Special shout out to tannerose5 who has faithfully reviewed each chapter; you're a star!**

 _"I believe in the kind of love that doesn't demand me to prove my worth and sit in anxiety. I crave a natural connection, where my soul is able to recognise a feeling of home in another. Something free-flowing, something simple. Something that allows me to be me without question..." - Joey Palermo_

Spencer walks into the BAU the next morning with a skip in his step and biting back a wide smile, consumed with his thoughts of Hanniah whom he had met for breakfast this morning, this time on purpose, the two had agreed to a casual date for this evening. Spencer is just settled in at his desk when his phone beeps.

 ** _Thanks for breakfast this morning, Spence. Hope you have a great day. Xoxo._**

 ** _I had a good time. Have a nice day. See you tonight. Xoxo._**

Spencer smiles before putting his phone away and continuing with paper work, but he is interrupted by Garcia who beckons everyone to the conference room, his happy mood wanes as he realises the team has a case.

"Well, my lovelies, this time you are headed to New Orleans. Five teenage girls bodies were found in a similar fashion and the mayor would like this to be solved as quickly as possible." Garcia says as she begins her debrief.

Once on the plane and the discussion about the unsub begins with ideas being thrown around from one profiler to the next, Spencer excuses himself for a second, his phone in hand.  
Hanniah answers on the third ring.  
"Hey Spence. Everything okay? I didn't expect to hear from you until a bit later."  
"Hey Hann. I have some bad news; we are on our way to New Orleans for a new case. So, I won't be able to make our plans for tonight. I'm sorry."  
"That's okay. I understand. Hope you guys catch the unsub quickly. We can do something once you get back."  
"Thank you. I'll make it up to you."  
"Is it okay if I text you while you're there or will that be a distraction?"  
"You can text me, Hann and I will respond when I have the chance. You're not a distraction." Spencer can hear the smile in Hanniah's voice as they say their goodbyes and hang up.

As luck would have it the case turns out to be a long and stressful one with the entire team taking a knock at the brutality displayed at the murders of the young teenage girls, the unsub is identified and arrested by late Friday evening and the BAU finds themselves boarding the plane home early Saturday morning, the mood sombre and subdued. Each member finds comfort the only way they know how; calling their various loved ones.

"So, Reid, you have been awfully busy on that phone of yours lately, is there something we need to know?" Rossi asks smirking, trying to distract everyone from the horrors that are no doubt plaguing all their minds.  
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Reid responds burying his face in his book.  
"Wait, what would Morgan say? Alright, playa!" JJ says imitating Derek, her imitation is met with smiles from the rest of team while Spencer just blushes and pretends to be engrossed in his book, his thoughts involuntarily wander to Hanniah, hoping they could postpone their date one more time just so that he could clear his mind before being with her, not wanting to damper the beginning of their new relationship with the heaviness that is coupled with his job.

Spencer arrives at his apartment building and is about to head upstairs when he hears a familiar voice, but instead of the usual perkiness Hanniah's tone is laced with irritation. Spencer looks around and sees Hanniah growing increasingly infuriated at the pushy guy who is clearly trying to pick her up, he approaches the pair who are completely unaware of his presence.  
"Thanks, I am so flattered, but no thank you." She says firmly attempting to move away from the pesky man.  
"Well doll, I'm no photographer but I can definitely picture us together." He drawls leering at her as he blocks her movement.  
"Not in my album." Hanniah retorts with a glare and Spencer attempts to supress a chuckle, the sound gets Hanniah's attention as she abandons her glowering, shoves the man out her way moving towards Spencer.  
"Hi, honey. How was your trip? I missed you." She says with a sickly sweet tone and hugs Spencer before standing on her toes and giving him a lingering kiss just next to his mouth. Spencer despite being caught off guard tightens his hold on Hanniah who he can feel relaxes at his touch, clearly the irksome man made her feel more uncomfortable than she let on and Spencer can't help but wonder why.

The man looks at them engaged in an embrace and then notices Spencer's gun holstered at his hip, his eyebrows rise in shock and then bumbles away nearly knocking into Spencer's elderly neighbour who whacks him with her purse and Hanniah laughs mumbling something which sounds like serves him right.

Mrs Cavanaugh approaches the couple and smiles widely, the unknown young lady with Spencer clearly intrigues her naturally nosy nature, "Dr Reid, who do you have here?" she asks perusing Hanniah making the brunette squirm at the woman's inquisitive gaze.  
"This is Hanniah Salvatore, Mrs Cavanaugh. Hann, this is my neighbour."  
"It's nice to meet you Mrs Cavanaugh."  
"Well, she's lovely Dr Reid. So very beautiful, you should keep this one, don't let her get away like you did that pretty blonde. I always thought you two would get married." Mrs Cavanaugh sighs and walks away as if she was not just having a conversation with the couple.  
"Pretty blonde, huh?" Hanniah asks with raised eyebrows and an amused expression, entirely at ease now.  
"She's confused. She thought I was dating JJ, I mean we did go on one date, but nothing happened. We just don't see each other like that." Spencer shrugs as he leads Hanniah to the stairs, surprising even himself with how much he loves holding her hand, his hands are so much bigger than hers but even with the large difference, it just feels right, as if they had been holding hands their entire lives.  
"Wait! You had a date with JJ and you dated Lila. Dr Spencer Reid, do you have a penchant for blondes?" she asks while they climb the stairs, hands still entwined.  
"Not really. I haven't thought about it much, but my mom is a blonde. So, I suppose I have a predisposition for blondes." He says as if he's analysing data, Hanniah nods her head in understanding.  
"Well, I better be wary of any hot blondes then, I don't like sharing." She teases winking at Spencer who smiles and blushes.

He lets Hanniah into his apartment without a second thought and deposits his bags in his bedroom before heading to the kitchen the thought of homemade food appealing to him after the long week.

"So, Spence, I know that you just got back from a particularly tough case and you probably want to rest up, but there's something I would like to share with you, if you want of course." She says whilst she opens the drapes and plumps up the scatter cushions on the sofa.  
"Sure that would be nice, but I probably won't be good company." He says, but even while thinking that, he finds it remarkable that since he saw Hanniah in the lobby, the thoughts of the deceased girls hadn't crossed his mind. Spencer pulls out a pan with the intention of making omelettes for the two of them downright ignoring Hanniah's protests. At her absolute insistence he agrees to let her help him; the two settle into a comfortable rhythm; standing beside each other in the kitchen each busy with a task of some sort.

The comfort they feel is beyond logic, a logic that Spencer had learned to rely on his entire life, everything tells him that soulmates don't exist and that emotions such as adoration and love are just chemical reactions in the brain and yet somehow this doesn't feel like some chemical reaction instead it feels like peace, like contentment, like comfort. This, the two of them together, feels like home.

 **Okay, so tell me what you think. Is this moving too quickly? Are you enjoying their dynamic? Please review, I love hearing feedback.**

 **Also just a heads up, I am back at university from tomorrow onward so my updates will be less frequent.**


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